FORT WAYNE — The Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) has approved
a $4 million Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grant
for Trine University’s new facility in Fort Wayne.
The grant is part of $15 million in funding announced Nov. 30 for five projects across
northeast Indiana.
"These investments in northeast Indiana will attract and retain more people to a growing
area of the state," Vincent Ash, vice president of development at the Indiana Economic
Development Corporation, said in a press release. "Investments in the areas of housing,
education and the arts, as reflected in these projects, will ensure Indiana remains
an attractive location to live and work and help boost prosperity across the region.
Investments into these quality-of-life and quality-of-opportunity projects is the
true essence of what the READI program was intended for."
Announced in June, Trine University Fort Wayne will include approximately 110,000
square feet of space and will house programs in the university’s College of Health
Professions.
“Trine University has been proud to call northeast Indiana home for more than 135
years, and we are grateful for this investment in and vote of confidence for Trine
Fort Wayne from the Regional Development Authority,” said Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D.,
Trine University president. “We are proud to work together with many individuals,
organizations, companies and agencies to improve the economy and quality of life for
this region.”
The Trine University Fort Wayne project has already received multimillion-dollar pledges
from the Steel Dynamics, the Surack Family Foundation, the James Foundation and Trine
alumnus and Board of Trustees member Larry Reiners and his wife Judy.
READI projects
Through READI, 17 regions across the state that represent all 92 counties are moving
forward with projects and programs designed to enhance Indiana's regions for current
and future generations of Hoosiers. Collectively, the state's $500 million investment
is expected to yield an additional $9.86 billion public, private, and nonprofit dollars
invested (19.72:1 investment leverage ratio) in enhancing Indiana's quality of life,
quality of place, and quality of opportunity.
At the end of 2021, The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) granted the
RDA $50 million to invest in projects through Indiana's READI program. This new batch
of funding comes just three months after the RDA approved $18 million for six projects
in Northeast Indiana.
In addition to Trine University Fort Wayne, the RDA provided grants to Lofts at Headwaters,
a housing project in downtown Fort Wayne; Arts Campus in downtown Fort Wayne; a housing
project in DeKalb County; and the Cameron Education and Innovation Center in Steuben
County.
Trine University Fort Wayne
Opening in fall 2024, the approximately $40 million Trine University Fort Wayne campus,
developed in close partnership with Parkview Health, will employ 100 faculty and staff
and serve nearly 700 students in Trine’s College of Health Professions (CHP), which
currently includes its physical therapy, physician assistant, speech-language pathology,
nursing and surgical technology programs. Located near Parkview Regional Medical Center,
the new space will allow CHP to add new programs including occupational therapy, respiratory
therapy, medical science and emergency medical sciences.
In addition to state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, the new facility will
feature, in partnership with the Parkview Mirro Center, an innovative Simulated Patient
Care Center (SimCenter) including mock surgery and Emergency Room suites and exam
and patient rooms. The building also will contain ample resources for student support,
including a library, bookstore, gathering area, academic support and counseling services.